New species for Malaysia

[Silverstreak]

Keeping you guys in suspense...;P :

New species for Malaysia found in Langkawi !:bsmile:

[Great Mormon]

what a teaser :P Quick Quick show us what you guys found :P

[Cruiser]

Something non butts :bsmile:

[Commander]

It's deja vu for me actually, having first found the Leopard Lacewing at exactly the same site in early 2000. Now we'll have to wait and see how fast this new species travels down the Malay Peninsula to visit us in Singapore. :)

[Painted Jezebel]

Intriguing! I assume that this species is found in Peninsular Thailand. Have I come across it on Samui yet?

[Commander]

Just got a note from Dr Kirton. We'll keep this under wraps first, until we publish at least a blog article on it, with Dr Kirton's affirmation of the ID of this species. :)

[Silverstreak]

:bsmile: :bsmile: :bsmile:

[Wanderer]

dont know what it is, but congrats!

[atronox]

I'm guessing it's a migratory sp, possibly a pierid or Euploea.

[Silverstreak]

Heard from Khew, Dr. Kirton has problem ID it down to sub-species level as there are 14 of them............:whistle:

.......:thinking: we call it Xxxxx xxxxx "rambor" since Ellen spotted it first:bsmile:

[Commander]

:) Thanks for waiting. I was researching and collecting more information. The mystery butt is a Julia Heliconian (Dryas iulia). :redbounce

Read about it on the Butterflies of Singapore BLOG (http://butterflycircle.blogspot.com/2009/09/new-taxon-for-malaysia.html). Now someone needs to take another trip to Langkawi to capture a male of the species for Dr Kirton to determine the subspecies.

But it's most likely the same subspecies as those which are bred at the Phuket Butterfly Farm.

Les, it's probably the same one that you have over at Samui too. What subspecies is that one? :thinking:

[Archduke]

lets hope it will make its way down to Singapore =D

[Silverstreak]

Over at Koh Samui, ButterflyCircle member Leslie Day has also encountered Dryas iulia flying freely on the resort island on the western coast of the Thai Peninsula.

Think it should read as Eastern Coast for Koh Samui?

[Commander]

Think it should read as Eastern Coast for Koh Samui?

Thanks... must've looked at the map upside down... :bsmile:

[Painted Jezebel]

Sorry, SK, I have not yet been able to identify my specimens down to subspecies level.:thumbsdow

Heres another photo of a male, for you to enjoy.

[Glorious Begum]

This is a great news. Don't think it will reach here or SG so soon. :cheers:

[Commander]

Thanks for spreading the news, Sunny. :cheers:

[Silverstreak]

.....we dun sell or advertise .......nobody knows!!:)

Blog now has at least half a dozen visitors.:bsmile:

[butterfly_effect]

nice photo les! :-) such a unique butterfly. Would be so cool to get a vid of them in flight:-)

[Commander]

Sorry, SK, I have not yet been able to identify my specimens down to subspecies level.:thumbsdow

Heres another photo of a male, for you to enjoy.

Thanks, Les. Perhaps a few specimens to Dr Kirton may help establish what subspecies this is? There isn't a comprehensive reference that I know of, that shows all the 15 subspecies nor a key to their separation. :thinking: Are you aware of any?

[Grass Demon]

Dryas julia is very common in butterfly parks. As far back as 1997 I have seen similar, if not the same species as shown in Les' picture, in the London butterfly park and more recently in another butterfly park in Canada near Niagara Falls. I believe it is easily bred and has been exported around the world from South America with other Heliconidaes as they are very hardy and beautiful butterflies. It is not surprising that when conditions are right, some escapees will establish themself and... spread.

My thoughts..:hmmm:

[Commander]

It's their adaptability to multiple host plants that gives them the edge.

The other species that we see in almost all the butterfly parks that I've visited, and even featured in overseas ones like UK and US, is the Taiwanese Tree Nymph (Idea leuconoe clara). It is also easily bred (and we are already doing so at Hort Park) and is even more common than Dryas iulia.

Escapees have been seen in Sime Forest before, but the species, fortunately, is not as flexible in host-shifting, and hence has not spread as quickly.

[Grass Demon]

Correction - as correctly indicated by Khew, the scientific name should be Dryas iulia.

[Silverstreak]

Two Dryas julia spotted a straits away in Johor on 15th November 09.

Unfortunately no photo as camera was at home, by the time my handphone camera came into the picture they were out of reach.


:cheers:

[Wanderer]

which part of johore? we can start anticipating their immigration into singapore soon.

[Commander]

which part of johore? we can start anticipating their immigration into singapore soon.

Not if our Police Coast Guard can help it... :bsmile:

[Silverstreak]

Opposite Lim Chu kang end ....... favourite site for illegal sneaking across.:bsmile:

[Peacock Royal]

Good sighting, Sunny.
Is a matter of time it comes to SG. We welcome another foreign talent.:bsmile:

[Wanderer]

Not if our Police Coast Guard can help it... :bsmile:

probably need the air force. I'll call up tengah to request for escort.

[Wanderer]

Good sighting, Sunny.
Is a matter of time it comes to SG. We welcome another foreign talent.:bsmile:

opp lim chu kang end, then probably you will be one of the first few to see it... so we prob need to look out for the hostplant up north.

[butterfly_effect]

cool! Cant wait to see those helicopter wings again.

[Silverstreak]

Ya ! It was those rather funny wing flutter that drew my attention to it .

Just like you told me before: the flight appears to be like a "helicopter" or " Humming Bird" flight ...... the wing tips flutter more than the wing root. :bsmile:

:cheers: